Aviation college host to regional flight competition

Oct. 8, 2009

BATTLE CREEK, Mich.--College aviators from Michigan and Ohio will converge on Western Michigan University's College of Aviation facility in Battle Creek, Mich., for the Oct. 13-17 Region III competition to determine which teams will compete in the 2010 National Intercollegiate Flying Association national championship.

WMU's Sky Broncos, led by Coach Steven W. Tkachuk, are hosts to the five-day regional event slated to take place at the W.K. Kellogg Airfield. This is the first time the regional competition has been at WMU since 2005. The national championship was last held on the WMU campus in 1997.

In addition to the WMU team, competitors in Battle Creek will include teams from Kent State, Ohio and Ohio State universities as well as the University of Cincinnati. In all, more than 60 collegiate aviators are expected to attend, along with coaches, parents and supporters.

Competitive events

Aircraft Recognition

Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Naviation (SCAN)

Computer Accuracy

Aircraft Pre-Flight Inspection

Short-Field Landings

Ground Trainer (Sim)

Navigation

Message Drop

Power-off Precision Landings

Teams accrue points to determine final standings by having individual team members place in the top slots in the competition's flight and ground events. Final results will not be known until the evening of Saturday, Oct. 17, when the event's closing banquet is held.

WMU teams have placed in the top four in the national competition for 18 consecutive years, with two national championships included in that run. The 2010 national championship competition will take place May 17-22 and will be hosted by Indiana State University at Terre Haute International-Hulman Field.

"Each year, the regional event is the first step toward competing at the national level," says Capt. David Powell, dean of the WMU College of Aviation. "We are incredibly proud of our team and our facilities, and we see this as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our campus and our community."